Thermostat-valve



A. C. THOMPSON AND W. S. ROBINETT.

THERMOSTAT VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7. 1920.

1,369,854. Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

i I Z UNITED ST T PATENT F CE-f] l THERMOSTAT-VALVE.

Application ma February 7, 1320. Serial No. 357,073.

To all whom/it may concern. in

.Be it known that we, ARTHUR CJTHoMP- son and WINrrn D S.Ros1'1-IlE'rT,1c itizens of the United States, residing at Pasadena in the county of Los vAngeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Thermostat-Valve,"of which the following s a specification.

This invention relates to. a thermostat valve and is particularly directed to a valve mechanism operated by a thermostat unit to control'the supply of fuel to a burner,.with the thermostatic unit operated by the pres; sure inthe tank or chamber heated by the burner. I

The object of the inventionis to provide a thermostatvalveincorporated in a' fuel supply line for regulating the flow of. fuel through said 'supplylin'e. l I

. Another obiect is toprovidef-a thermostat valve unit which is very; sensitive, functioning under minute variations in the valve controlling pressure.

A" further object .is'to provide a thermostat valve, so designed that the various elements may be formed of stock material and parts produced by automatic screw-machines, this feature contributing to minimizing the cost of manufacture.

Various other objects and advantages will be more fully apparent from the following description of .the accompanying drawings which form a part of this disclosure, and which illustrate a preferred form of em bodiment of the invention.

Of the drawings: V

Figure 1 is an elevation of the valve unit showing an installation wherein it serves as a control device for a gas burner and operated by the pressure in the tank being heated. 7

Fig. 2 is a vertlcal section through the valve unit and burner.

Fig. 3 is a plan section on line w --w of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan section on line m-w of Fig. 2. 4

In the installation shown in Fig. 1, the valve unit is connected with a fuel supply pipe 1 with the burner 2 positioned to cause the tank 3 to be heated, a control pressure line 4 leading from the upper portion of 7 I .the tank to the valve unit.

The valve unit comprises a body portion or casing 5 which 'in the present preferred form is a T-fitting pro'vldlng' a valve cham- Specification of Letters Patent.

, end of the pipe-.7.

a hollow tubular .ing a closed upper end and formed of pliable .ing 12 connects with the Patented- Mar. 1, 1921.

her 6. At the upper endof the chamber the l body has a screw threaded bore into which engagesa dlschargepipe'r' with ,its inner end extended into said chamber and formed to provide a valve'seat 8. By rotating the a pipe? the axial position of the valve seat relatlve vto the coacting ,valve mechanism may be regulatedto'control the fuelsupw ply. A look col1a1fl9, engaging the threaded body may be tightenedto lock the discharge pipe Tin adjusted position and a wing collar 11 secured to the pipeserves to facilitate said adjustment.v The-burnerf2 is preferably screw-threaded on the upper The thermostatlvalve mechanism'jis supported by a bushing ;12 screw threaded into the lower. end of the body 5 and comprises expansion element 13 havjrubber, and a'valve element l twh ijchis pressed into. the upper end of a coiled contra'ct ble spring 15 surrounding; the rubber 1' p1pe'7and athreaded boss 10 of thevalve 1 l tubel3, the lower endofsaid spring having a screw thread engagement with a threaded bore of a guide sleeve 16. The valve element- 1 l 14' 1s preferably formed" of 'anysuitable material such as-fiber or hard rubber. The

.lower end of the rubber tube has a'lateral annular flange 17 and extending into the tube is a reinforcing bush'18 havin'g a flange.

19. A washer 20 rests on an-annular shoulder formed in the bushing-12 and the rubber tube .13 and its reinforcing 'bush 18 are clamped in position by the guide sleeve 16,

the lower end of which has a screw-threaded engagement in the bore of the bushing 12 (see Fig. 2). A bolt 21 extends upwardly through the valve element 14 and secured to the upper end of said bolt is a circular nut or head 22 positioned within thedise charge pipe 7 and serving as a'guide for the valve, the'head 22 being of less diameter than the bore of said pipe to allow for the passage of the fuel therethrough. The bushpressure line 4 in any suitable manner. 5

. In operation, as the tank 3 becomes heat to expand said element. As the walls of the rubber tube expansion element13 are relatively thin, the tube will first expand trans versely, the outer periphery of the tube walls grippingly engaging each convolution of the spring 15'. Further pressure will expand the tube and spring longitudinally-to elevate the valve element 14 to diminish the flow of fuel to the burner and to finally shut ofi said flow of fuel When the valve" element engages the valve seat 8.

It will be noted that all of the parts excepting the rubber tube, the spring, Wing collar and the body are susceptible of manufacture by automatic screw machinery and that the spring isof'a uniform'diameter such as may be cut into length from stock spring material. This contributes to minimizing the cost of manufacture and upkeep. 1 .The thermostat valve mechanism is very sensitive, responding promptly to slight variations of the operating pressure, and is very strong and durable and not likely to become disarranged and get out of'order.

I claim: 1 1. A thermostat valve combining a body providing a valve chamber, a valve seat in said chamber, a valve element, a guide sleeve secured to the body in axial alinement With the valve element, a contractible coil spring secured to the sleeve and supportingfthe valve element, and a thermostat expansion element fixedat one end and longitudinally extended into the coil spring.

2. A thermostat valve combining a body providing a valve chamber, a valve seat in said chamber, a valve element, a bushing supported by the body in axial alinement with the valve seat, a'guide sleeve on the bushing a contractible coil spring secured to the s eeve andsupporting the valve el e I Vitnesses i 1 ment, and a thermostat expansion element clamped at one end between the sleeveand bushing and extendinglongitudinally into 40 the coil spring. 1

3. A thermostat valve combining a body providing a valve chamber, a valve seat in said chamber, a valve element, a bushing supported by the body in axial alinement Withthe a valve seat,"a guide sleeve on the bushing, a contractible coil spring secured to the sleeve and supporting the valve element, a hollow thermostat expansion element closed at: one end, ands reinforcing 'bush'enga ged into theopposite end of said nally into the coil spring and adapted to expan'cltransverselyl to en age the spring convolutions and longitudinally; With the 5 spring to translate the valve; element; Signedat LosAngeles, CaliforniaithisiGth dayof January 'l920, r,

ARTHUR o. THOMPSON: WINFIELD s. ROBINETT.

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